Precepts of truthfulness and purification

As the basic attitude toward life, Shintō emphasizes makoto no kokoro (“heart of truth”), or magokoro (“true heart”), which is usually translated as “sincerity, pure heart, uprightness.” This attitude follows from the revelation of the truthfulness of kami in man. It is, generally, the sincere attitude of a person in doing his best in the work he has chosen or in his relationship with others, and the ultimate source of such a life-attitude lies in man’s awareness of the divine.

Although Shintō ethics do not ignore individual moral virtues such as loyalty, filial piety, love, ... (100 of 6,450 words)